Google

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Democracy must prevail in toppling BN, says DAP chief

CAROLYN HONG, THE STRAITS TIMES
A KEY ally in Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's opposition alliance said it was not opposed to accepting defectors from the ruling coalition, but not at the expense of its integrity.
PHOTO: REUTERS
The Chinese-based Democratic Action Party (DAP) has been the most ambivalent about wooing defectors to the Pakatan Rakyat alliance to topple the Barisan Nasional (BN) federal government.
DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, who is also the Penang chief minister, told The Straits Times that the party has yet to be informed by Datuk Seri Anwar if he has the numbers to form the next government.
'If we have the numbers, why not? But it cannot be at the expense of sacrificing principles by buying people over,' he said in an interview.
On Monday, at a rally to mark the expiry of his five-year ban on electoral politics, Datuk Seri Anwar said the opposition had enough defecting MPs to topple the BN, but it was not in a rush to do so.
The opposition alliance needs another 30 MPs to obtain a simple majority in Parliament.
But Mr Lim said the DAP preferred the process to be more democratic, and thus would support a constitutional amendment to ban party-hopping. Defectors should be required to contest a fresh election on a new ticket.
There have been mixed reactions among opposition supporters about the takeover of central power through defections, as it creates an impression of greed for power and the shelving of principles.
Datuk Seri Anwar's Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) is the most enthusiastic about party-hopping in the Pakatan Rakyat opposition coalition. The DAP and Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) are the other two members in the alliance.
This issue, although very unlikely to divide them, is an indication that the three parties have a lot to learn to be able to make their cooperation work.
It was an unlikely coalition to start with, as all parties have starkly different ideologies.
PAS' ambition to establish an Islamic state remains the prickliest issue, but the Islamist party has since put that on the backburner.
'It is not an issue that is going away. If that is their objective, the cooperation is off. But our principles are similar - justice, freedom.
'Where there are commonalities, we work together,' Mr Lim said.
To him, the pact can work because each of the three parties is equally strong. Datuk Seri Anwar's PKR, he said, will not be the dominant partner, like Umno is in the BN.
'We let him be the spokesperson, but we have an exchange of views. There is trust between top leaders, but maybe not at the middle level yet,' he said.
Certainly, the alliance has been bending over backwards to work together, with the parties rushing to quash potential conflicts before they arise.
Working together resulted in astonishing success at the March8 polls. The opposition gained control of an unprecedented five states, and left the BN with less than a two-thirds majority in Parliament for the first time since 1969.
And Mr Lim became chief minister of Penang, one of Malaysia's most industrialised states. Penang Island - sometimes called Malaysia's silicon valley - is the country's hub of electronics manufacturing and a logistics hub for northern Malaysia. It is also one of the country's top tourist attractions.
With his speech less than crisp at times, indicating exhaustion, Mr Lim said it had been a tough ride so far.
His parents' home, where he is still living, has been inundated with people, but he said the greatest shock came from taking over a messy state government and the lack of cooperation from the federal side.
'We were shocked at the state of affairs. Our offices were empty. There were no files. We had to trace all the documents. We did not know where to start,' he said.
And what they uncovered, he claimed, were shady deals that lost the state tens of millions in ringgit but could not be reversed as they were signed and sealed. He has given the former government until the end of this month to explain matters before he makes them public.
He said the new state government also found its hands tied in many ways.
Most major decisions, from public security to public transport, are within federal jurisdiction. And there is strong resistance to changing the old ways.
'When we wanted to implement open tenders for government contracts, even the Prime Minister took umbrage. He said it is not fair, it would only help the strong and not allow the weak to survive,' Mr Lim said.
He realised quickly that it was not enough to change things - he also had to allay fears.
Since winning power on March 8, he has been speaking to Malay groups, including small-time contractors, to convince them that his government will not marginalise Malays.
The DAP is frequently seen as a Chinese party, but Mr Lim said it is an unfair perception created by the BN-controlled media.
He said Malays had no difficulties with him and, in fact, the DAP saw a substantial increase in Malay support in the last election.
'We govern based on need and justice,' he said.
Lim Guan Eng on:
SHADY LAND DEALS BY PREVIOUS GOVT
'This is only the tip of the iceberg. Much more things to be uncovered.'
NEP AND CRONYISM
'My statements on the excesses of the NEP talked about wiping out corruption. But they (Umno) tried to twist it to mean removing Malay rights. It (the NEP) has become synonymous with corruption and cronyism. If you deny it, you are really an ostrich in the sand.'
LIVING WITH PARENTS
'I wanted to move into the official residence (of the Chief Minister), but they said it would take RM300,000 to repair the roof, which is leaking. I am not spending that kind of money. I am still squatting in a room in my parents' house. They are waiting to evict me. They can't take the strain.'
MAINTAINING COMMONALITIES
'What guarantees are there in life? Can love last? You have to try. Where there are commonalities, we work together.'

No comments:

Google